Boys and Girls State candidates receive send-off

May 31, 2017 at 5:00 a.m.

by Janelle Jessen

Janelle Jessen/Herald-Leader The American Legion Post 29 and American Legion Auxiliary held a send-off ceremony for Boys State and Girls State participants on Friday evening. Pictured are Hannah Boss, Matthew Nance and Vince Rajsonbath, all of Gentry, and Will Nokes, Brooklyn Buckminster, Hadlee Hollenback and Sarah Haught, all of Siloam Springs. Not pictured are Alexia Lo, Chloe Oxford, Chandler Losh and Catherine Donner.
Janelle Jessen/Herald-Leader The American Legion Post 29 and American Legion Auxiliary held a send-off ceremony for Boys State and Girls State participants on Friday evening. Pictured are Hannah Boss, Matthew Nance and Vince Rajsonbath, all of Gentry, and Will Nokes, Brooklyn Buckminster, Hadlee Hollenback and Sarah Haught, all of Siloam Springs. Not pictured are Alexia Lo, Chloe Oxford, Chandler Losh and Catherine Donner.

Eleven local high school juniors from Siloam Springs and Gentry were recognized at Boys State and Girls State send-off ceremony, hosted by American Legion Post 29 and the American Legion Auxiliary held Friday evening at the Community Building.

Girls State and Boys State are a week-long camp designed to provide citizenship training for high school juniors by offering them the opportunity to develop mythical city, county and state governments, according to the organizations' websites. Students will get a chance to elect leaders and run government offices.

Alumni of the 75-year-old program include former President Bill Clinton, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee and Jonathan Barnett, former Arkansas Representative for District 87.

This year's camp will begin on May 28 and end on June 2. Boys State is held at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway and Girls State is held at Harding University in Searcy. Post 29 will celebrate the students' experience with a picnic next month.

More information about Arkansas Boys State is available at arkansasboysstate.com and more information about Girls State is available at arkansasgirlsstate.com.

General News on 05/31/2017